Mike Miller Takes ASA ACDelco Challenge Series LaCrosse 300

West Salem, WI - Lapped traffic with less than ten laps remaining in
Sunday's American Speed Association, ACDelco Challenge Series LaCrosse
300 handed Mike Miller the win and left Rick Beebe heartbroken.

Beebe was attempting to pass a slower car, when the two got together
causing Beebe to spin out and allowed Miller to pull away and take the
win.

"I feel so bad for Rick (Beebe)," Miller said as he climbed out of his
Pontiac. "I would have been happy with a second place if Rick had won.
Junior (Hanley) should have given Rick the the line. Rick knew I was
right there, whatever line he took, I was was going to take the
opposite line. I'm happy with the win, I've lost some like that
before. We pitted for right side tires and the car got loose. The
second time we changed left side tires and the car got real tight. On
the last pit stop we changed the stagger and the car was good enough
at the end."

Beebe, in the St Louis Gear/Royal Machine Pontiac started from the
pole position and led three different times during the 300 lap event
around the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway and appeared poised for his
first career win.

Following a final round of pit stops for most of the leaders, Beebe
retook the lead from Gary St Amant on lap 230 and began to open a lead
over St Amant, who was being chased by Steve Carlson and Tim
Sauter. Mike Miller in the Uniseal/Old Style/Hemstock Pontiac was
running sixth at the time, but was on the charge.

With 50 laps remaining, Beebe had built up a four second lead as
Miller moved into second spot with St Amant in third and Sauter and
Carlson, the top two Pat Schauer Rookie of the Year contenders,
rounding out the top five.

As Beebe encountered lapped traffic, Miller began to cut into the
lead, and with 15 laps to go the margin was 1.2 seconds. Miller closed
to the rear bumper of Beebe with 10 laps to go, as the two front
runners closed on the lapped car of Junior Hanley.

As the two leaders looked for a way around Hanley, Miller tried
several times to get inside Beebe, but was unable to make the pass
stick.

With three laps remaining, Beebe got inside of Hanley coming off the
fourth corner, while Miller waited to see the outcome of the passing
attempt. As Beebe and Hanley exited the corner, Hanley drifted low and
made contact with Beebe causing him to spin down the front straight
and come to rest against the inside retaining wall as Miller inherited
the lead.

On the final restart, all ASA races must finish under green, Miller
pulled away from the field for his second win of the year as he beat
Scott Hansen to the line by 5.268 seconds. Sauter finished third and
Beebe recovered to take the eighth place finishing spot.

For Hansen it was his third consecutive podium finish for the Ken
Schrader Racing Chevrolet, and he has moved into third place in the
season long ASA points chase.

I was fortunate to finish second," Hansen said after the race. "Our
car was a little off in the middle stages of the race, but on the last
pit stop the crew did a great job in making an adjustment."

Sauter, in the Leo's Motorsports/Wehr's Chevrolet scored his career
best finish after starting and finishing in third.

"The car was really tight and developed a push," Sauter commented.
"When I had to go to the high side it developed a push in the
corners. We had good pit stops and a car good enough to win. Since we
went to this new car five races ago we have been more competitive."

A visibly disappointed Beebe said that Hanley is always tough to pass,
whether it be for position or he is a lap down.

"He (Hanley) won't move out of the line," Beebe said. "He kept driving
in the middle of the track and twice motioned me to the outside and
then drifted high. I got under him clean coming off the fourth corner
and he turned into me. I think I could have held Mike (Miller) off at
the end, we were about equal. I feel worse for the crew than I do for
myself because they gave me a great car today."

ACDelco Challenge Series points leader Kevin Cywinski was awarded the
WYNN'S WYNNING MOVE for driving to a sixth place finish after starting
fourth and having to make an early put stop to replace a loose plug
wire.

Miller averaged 77.878 mph in a race that featured 14 lead changes
among nine different drivers. The race was slowed by 10 cautions for a
total of 48 laps.

The American Speed Association, ACDelco Challenge Series now moves on
to Berlin Raceway in Marne, MI for the August 9th running of the
Michigan 300.

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